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WYLIE READY TO “ROCK” IN LATEST McLAREN GT OUTING

Ross Wylie heads in to the unknown for his first two-hour British GT Championship race of the season at Rockingham on Sunday (3 May). It marks the 23-year-old Dumfries driver’s first race of this duration in a GT3 sportscar and while the target for him and co-driver Andrew Watson is a solid points finish, the reigning GT4 champion remains cautious due to the handicap their McLaren 650S GT3 must bare.

Both Wylie and Watson (N. Ireland) are graded “silver” status drivers which means the Von Ryan Racing McLaren is forced to carry 80kg of ballast. The race last 120mins on a track where tyre management is a key factor in avoiding degradation due to the track’s unusually abrasive surface. Furthermore after the opening two Oulton races, it would seem apparent that the Balance of Performance, inflicted on the McLaren by the series organisers, is a little unkind.

The race marks only the fourth time Wylie has raced at Rockingham. Having made his debut there in 2013, Ross finished second in the GT4 category in the corresponding race last year.

“The aim for Rockingham is to score some solid points after a difficult season opener at Oulton Park. Oulton was a difficult challenge due to the extra ballast we are having to carry but hopefully we can deal with that handicap a little better at Rockingham and have a good run. Being a two-hour race means the need for refuelling and longer stints come into the mix. Rockingham isn’t one of my favourite circuits although I did manage second place in GT4 in last year’s BGT race there. A strong top-six is what we’ll be aiming for on this occasion. In theory Rockingham should suit the McLaren better [than Oulton] but it’s difficult to predict. Also tyre degradation, caused by the extra weight we’re carrying, over a longer stint must be taken into consideration.”